Ladder attachment



. 3, 1957 J. J. GILMOUR ET'AL LADDER ATTACHMENT Filed Jul 31 1953 John.za GuzdoK.

m 1. r m e w n Tul N was .H R Vm m mam A United States Patent LADDERATTACHMENT John J. Gilmour, Flint, and Guido K. Bassler, Fenton, Mich.

Application July 31, 1953, Serial No. 371,542

2 Claims. (Cl. 228-60) The present invention relates to a ladderattachment and it consists in the combinations, constructions andarrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a pair of brackets, one of which is adaptedto be attached to the lef-hand rail and the other of which is adapted tobe attached to the righthanded rail of a ladder. The brackets may beattached to the ladder adjacent the uppermost rung or adjacent any otherrung in the top portion of a ladder whereby to support the ladder insuch manner that it will not bear against the conventional eaves troughwhereby to injure the latter. The device is so fashioned that it may beeconomically produced by stamping the same from sheet metal with aminimum number of die operations.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a pair ofbrackets of the character set forth which are simple in construction,inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of brackets of thecharacter set forth having means for supporting the upper portion of aladder against a roof or the side of a house without contacting theconventional eaves trough.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in devices of thecharacter set forth, novel means for mounting the same upon the rails ofa ladder.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification taken in conjunction with thedrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the inventionshown in operative posiiton in full lines in engagement with the roof ofa house and, in dotted lines, in engagement with the side of a house.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 33 of Figures2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure3, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown thereindevices of the character above set forth one of which may be termed aleft-hand bracket generally indicated at and the other of which may betermed a right-hand bracket and generally indicated at 11. Both brackets10 and 11 are identical in construction except that they are reversed soas to fit over a left-hand rail 12 and a right-hand rail 13,respectively, of a ladder, the ladder being supplied with a top rung 14and successively lower rungs 15, 16, etc.

Since both brackets 10 and 11 are identical but reversed as aforesaid,only one of them will be described herein, it being understood that theother contains identical but reversed parts.

The bracket is provided with a base plate 17 having integrally formedtherewith an outer side palte 18 and an inner side plate 19. Integrallyformed with the upper end of the side plate 18 is an outwardly extendingcurvular arm 20 having a laterally directed arcuate foot 21 formedintegrally with the outer end thereof. A pad 22 of rubber or likeresilient material is affixed to the outer face of the foot 21.

A clamping screw 23 extends through the side plate 19 and through a lug24 affixed by welding or the like to the outer side of the plate 19. Theupper edge of the arm 20 is provided throughout its length with alaterally extending flange 25 which is down-turned at its inner end toform a pressure foot 26, such foot 26 being substantially in the sameplane as the base plate 17. The arm 20 likewise is provided along itslower edge with a laterally disposed flange 27 which is integrallyconnected with the upper edge of the base plate 17. A pair of verticallyspaced stiffening ridges 28 protrudes outwardly from the base plate 17and side plate 19, each ridge being continuous in nature. A likestiffening ridge 29 extends upwardly in the side plate 18 and thencelongitudinally through the central portion of the arm 20, it beingunderstood that the ridges 28 and 29 are for the purpose ofstrengthening the device. The side plate 19 is provided with anintegrally formed downwardly extending hook 30.

In operation, it will be apparent that the brackets 10 and 11 are alwaysused together in conjunction with the ladder to support the ladder outof contact with, for example, an eaves trough 31 conventionally affixedto the edge portion of a roof 32 of a building provided with a side wall33 so as to support the same out of contact with such eaves trough 31whereby not to injure the same by placing a weight thereagainst. Thebrackets 10 and 11 are mounted upon any convenient rung of the ladder.If it is desired to have the pads 22 of the brackets bear against theroof 32, the devices of the present invention will be mounted upon theuppermost rung 14 whereas if it is desired that the weight of the ladderbe borne by the side of the building then in that event the bracketswill be mounted upon one of the lower rungs such as the rung 16 as shownin dotted lines in Figure 1. This is accomplished by first placing thebase plate 17 against the inner face of its respective rail 12 or 13 asthe case may be and thereafter moving the device downwardly until thehook 30 engages over the rung as shown, for example, in Figure 3 of thedrawing. When this has been accomplished it will be apparent that thepressure foot 26 will likewise bear against the same face of the rail towhich the device is attached. The device may then be locked in positionby tightening upon the screw 23. It will be apparent that when the pairof brackets 14} and 11 has been so mounted upon the ladder that the arms20 will project toward the building against which the ladder is to beplaced and that the pads 22 upon the feet 21 will prevent slippage ofthe ladder either upon the roof 32 or the wall 33 as the case may be.

While I have herein described a specific form which the invention maytake, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be madeby those skilled in the art which still fall within the spirit and scopeof'the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for ladders having side rails and rungs, comprising abracket having a base plate, an inner side plate affixed to one side ofsaid base plate, an outer side plate affixed to the other side of saidbase plate, said plates adapted to encompass the sides and inner face ofa rail, a support arm extending outwardly from the upper end of saidouter side plate, an inwardly extending lateral upper flange formed onthe upper edge of said arm, a like lower flange formed on the lower edgeof said arm and integrally connected to said base plate, a dependentpressure foot formed integrally with the inner end portion of said upperflange, said pressure foot and said base plate being in the same plane,a dependent hook formed integrally with the lower end of said inner sideplate and engaging a rung on the side of the rung remote from said baseplate, and a clamping szrew extending through said inner side plate andadapted to bear against its associated ladder rail.

2. An attachment for ladders having side rails and rungs, comprising abracket having .a base plate, a .pair of side plates afiixed to saidbase plate, said plates adapted to encompass the sides and inner face ofa rail, a support 10 arm extending upwardly and outwardly from the upperend of one side plate, a lateral stiffening flange formed integrallywith the support arm, a dependent pressure foot formed integrally Withthe inner end of the flange and lying in the same plane as said baseplate, a depending hook formed integrally with the lower end of one ofsaid side plates and engaging a rung on the side of the rung remote fromsaid base plate, and a bearing pad afiixed to the free end of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GreeneMar. 27, Friend Feb. 21, Ellinger Sept. 19, Seaman June 9, Hebner Sept.11, Hansen Apr. 14, Reese July 7, Buyer May 29, Dalton Apr. 27, WalstromSept. 28, Larson May 12, Dakin June 8,

